Reliability circuit for applying an AC stress signal or DC measurement to a transistor device
AssigneeLSI Logic Corporation
InventorsJohn Walker, SangJune Park, Richard Schultz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrated circuit is provided, which includes a transistor device under test, an AC drive circuit, an AC bias circuit and a DC bias circuit. The AC drive circuit generates an AC drive signal. The AC bias circuit biases the transistor device under AC bias conditions in response to the AC drive signal. The DC bias circuit biases the transistor device under DC bias conditions. A switch circuit selectively couples the transistor device to the AC bias circuit in an AC stress mode and to the DC bias circuit in a DC measurement mode.
Claims19
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a transistor device under test, on the integrated circuit;
- an AC drive circuit on the integrated circuit, which generates an AC drive signal;
- an AC bias circuit on the integrated circuit, which biases the transistor device under AC bias conditions in response to the AC drive signal;
- a DC bias circuit on the integrated circuit, which biases the transistor device under DC bias conditions;
- and
- a switch circuit on the integrated circuit, which selectively couples the transistor device to the AC bias circuit in an AC stress mode, and which selectively couples the transistor device to the DC bias circuit and decouples the transistor device from the AC bias circuit in a DC measurement mode.
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a transistor device under test, on the integrated circuit;
- an AC drive circuit on the integrated circuit, which generates an AC drive signal;
- an AC bias circuit on the integrated circuit, which couples the transistor device as an element within an inverter and drives the transistor device in response to the AC drive signal;
- a DC bias circuit on the integrated circuit, which biases the transistor device under DC bias conditions;
- analog DC measurement pins of the integrated circuit coupled to the DC bias circuit for providing analog inputs to control the DC bias conditions of at least one terminal of the device under test and for providing at least one DC measurement output from at least one terminal of the device under test;
- and
- a switch circuit on the integrated circuit, which selectively couples the transistor device to the AC bias circuit in an AC stress mode and to the DC bias circuit in a DC measurement mode.
A method of testing a transistor device on an integrated circuit;
- (a) generating an AC drive signal with an AC drive circuit on the integrated circuit;
- (b) applying the AC drive signal to the transistor device through an AC bias circuit on the integrated circuit, during an AC stress phase;
- (c) after the AC stress phase, decoupling the transistor device from the AC bias circuit and coupling the transistor device to a DC bias circuit on the integrated circuit;
- and
- (d) measuring at least one operating characteristic of the transistor device through the DC bias circuit during a DC measurement phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.